Valorant Will Hardware Ban Its Most 'Severe, Harmful Players'
Valorant Will Hardware Ban Its Most 'Severe, Harmful Players'
Valorant Implements Hardware Bans to Combat Toxicity
Riot Games' Response to Harassment
Riot Games plans to enhance its anti-harassment efforts in Valorant following viral incidents of abuse, with updated policies and stronger penalties.
Hardware Bans for Severe Offenses
The company will introduce hardware bans for the most harmful players, aiming to significantly reduce severe toxicity.
System Updates and Team Expansion
Riot will update its systems and expand teams to better handle reports and review severe cases more effectively.
Future Proactive Measures
Further proactive strategies will be developed to ensure a safer gaming environment, details of which will be announced later.
How did Donlon describe the limitations of the current systems in place to tackle harassment and abuse in Valorant?
Donlon described the limitations of the current systems in place to tackle harassment and abuse in Valorant by stating that the systems "can't catch everything" and that they require constant attention, tweaking, and improvement. She also mentioned that these systems are often painfully manual or dependent upon players reporting things. Donlon acknowledged that despite Riot's efforts, there are still gaps in their systems and processes which have been highlighted by recent viral videos and other instances of abuse that players have experienced.
What measures did Anna Donlon, the head of Valorant at Riot Games, announce to combat in-game harassment?
Anna Donlon, the head of Valorant at Riot Games, announced several measures to combat in-game harassment following the viral incidents of abuse within the game3. Recognizing the ongoing issue, Donlon detailed a comprehensive plan aimed at creating a safer gaming environment3. The key components of this initiative include:
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Policy Updates: The existing policies will be updated within the next 30 days to enforce stronger and faster penalties for severe misconduct such as hate speech, severe sexual content, and threats of violence3.
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New Penalties: A range of new penalties will be introduced, including temporary and permanent bans. For the most egregious offenders, hardware bans will be implemented, which will prevent the banned players from simply creating new accounts on different devices4.
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Enhanced Review Teams: The teams responsible for manually reviewing reports of abuse will be strengthened to handle an anticipated increase in reports more effectively.
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Expanded Voice Evaluation System: The rollout of Riot’s voice evaluation system, which monitors and evaluates in-game voice communications for violations, will be expanded to more regions3.
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Review of Top Offenders: Riot Games will conduct a one-time review of the top suspected offenders from the previous competitive Act in Valorant and issue appropriate penalties based on their findings.
These measures reflect Riot Games' commitment to taking a proactive approach to safeguard player experience and foster a respectful gaming community3.